Tuesday 24th August: EFL Cup / EFL Trophy / EFL2

[Bottega Don]

We've basically got out u21's against Man City's with a few older players sprinkled in, no surprise that they are winning 2-0.

 

[hellogregory]

Farman that’s embarrassing. Pathetic from barrow so far.

 

[kieran_vale]

El Ghazi just completely mugged off Farman on that penalty. Bit cheeky.

Barrow unsurprisingly getting dominated by Villa though I think Zanzala should have had a penalty without seeing the replay yet.

 

[BogDaddyO]

Orient 0-2 Harrogate.

Abysmal football from the Os in every third of the pitch. Harrogate have been fine, but I'm genuinely appalled at the ineptitude of this performance so far.

Hello mid-table my old friend.....

 

[kieran_vale]

Zanzala knocking out that light on the roof of the stand is quite a good summary of how this game has gone for Barrow to be honest.

 

[hellogregory]

This is pretty embarrassing stuff from Barrow. Zanzala the only one making a fist of it.

The Barrow full backs or wing backs whatever they are trying to be, totally inept, both of them. It’s fair enough if you are beaten by pure skill, but to be terrified to even put a challenge in and to be constantly caught in terrible positions as they are. The centre backs have no chance. It’s making it embarrassingly easy for Villa.

 

[BarraMatt]

We've started this game with the slowest player in League 2 in against a Premier League midfield. No surprises we are getting a pasting.

 

[hellogregory]

Hendrie is also right, the barrow midfielders are playing like a bunch of terrified school boys. No pressure at all on the villa midfield, letting them have it all their own way far too easily. Get beat off a PL is fine, but let them know they are in a game.

 

[northstandexile]

I thought the Barrow game was a pizza cup tie with Villa playing their u23 side.

Must be the biggest crowd to watch Villa u23’s

 

[kieran_vale]

Hendrie is also right, the barrow midfielders are playing like a bunch of terrified school boys. No pressure at all on the villa midfield, letting them have it all their own way far too easily. Get beat off a PL is fine, but let them know they are in a game.

Aye probably shown them too much respect. One of the Barrow players should have gone charging in and done a reducer on say El Ghazi early on. At least get them fearing a bit of a physical battle.

Having seen the replay though Zanzala was definitely robbed of a penalty there.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

We've actually been worth the lead since the goal as well, one decent double stop from Thomas early and another easier save but that's been it from the Bees and we've fashioned a couple of chances ourselves. They look like they're a change side and expect they'll be getting a rocket so interesting to see if we can hang on.

 

[hellogregory]

Aye probably shown them too much respect. One of the Barrow players should have gone charging in and done a reducer on say El Ghazi early on. At least get them fearing a bit of a physical battle.

Having seen the replay though Zanzala was definitely robbed of a penalty there.

To be fair Zanzala is doing alright (the only one) and is actually making it uncomfortable for the Villa defenders. Had a decent effort with a header as well. The rest of them are being far too nice.

 

[BogDaddyO]

Harrogate all over us and we miss a pen (not convinced it should have been given in the first place).
Deserved 3 points for Harrogate, fair play to them.
Absolute dross from the Orient. Zero excuses for a performance this shit given our recruitment. Literally don't know why I bother attending games anymore, we've been shit forever.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Harrogate all over us and we miss a pen (not convinced it should have been given in the first place).
Deserved 3 points for Harrogate, fair play to them.
Absolute dross from the Orient. Zero excuses for a performance this shit given our recruitment. Literally don't know why I bother attending games anymore, we've been shit forever.

You weren't shit when you played us. Obviously we're a massive club for this level who everyone wants to beat.

 

[BogDaddyO]

You weren't shit when you played us. Obviously we're a massive club for this level who everyone wants to beat.

Undoubtedly.

 

[kieran_vale]

Seems like FGR have given a really good account of themselves tonight at Brentford.

Barrow not much you can say other than that was an absolute pummelling. Villa were really good but Barrow gave the impression they were just happy to be there and no real intent to ask questions of Villa.

 

[valefan16]

Barrow should be making a better fist of that against essentially a Villa U23s felt that would be a leveller but they were well beaten.

 

[BarraMatt]

Can't disagree with any of the comments here. There was always going to be a gulf in class but we didn't do anywhere near enough to drag them down to our level. What makes it more frustrating is you see FGR taking Brentford to the death.

Still, never thought we would have the chance for a game like this when we were slugging it out with Brackley etc etc.

 

[BarraMatt]

Double post.

 

[Gassy]

Watch us get battered by Barrow on Saturday now

 

[chipmunx]

wouldn't be surprised if we have a chat with Villa and try and get the guy who got the hat-trick on loan - he was on loan to Solihull in the National League last season - so they will probably look to send him to an EFL 2 team this time out.
As for the game - that was a very good young Villa side, but once the 3rd went in it was a case of don't get injured and get minutes in the legs. Big Bonus that Zanzala got through 90 mins for the 1st time this season (he missed pre-season with injury).
Taylor played because Mike Jones and Tom Beadling are still out injured as are Devitt, Matty Platt and Dmitri Sea.
We had 2 keepers on the bench and no Luke James - not sure if that's him picking up a knock in training or him heading to Hartlepool??

 

[chipmunx]

Watch us get battered by Barrow on Saturday now

to be fair the last time we played you was at your place in the FA Cup when you were L1 are we were National League and we beat you then.....

 

[The Terminator]

That was really, really bad from us, as bad as anything served up from Ross Embleton or Jobi McAnuff last season.

After we decided to hand Harrogate their first goal on a plate we offered very, very little and seemed to lose all belief within the team. Had Harry Smith scored the penalty we got it may have given everyone a lift but we'll never know.

Heard that all is not well behind the scenes all of a sudden here, Conor Wood has been made avaliable for transfer already and only having been here for a few weeks - He is only in the squad because we literally don't have any more players avaliable. If theres disharmony behind the scenes in our camp already then its been reflective in our last 2 performances because prior to Saturday we looked very well organised and motivated and Saturday and today we've looked far, far too off the pace

Big decisions will need to be made in terms of transfers too, because our squad is very, very young and lacks strength/experience in depth, so it will be interesting to see what direction we decide to go down.

As for Harrogate, they had a plan and stuck to it, pressed high all first half and took their chances, their first goal they made the most of a comedy of errors from our team. In Luke Armstrong they have a something alot sides down here need - a goalscorer, so they could be a team that sneaks under the radar. Having siad that, they will face better motivated sides than we were tonight.

 

[Chief Rocka]

I’d of loved Luke Armstrong to sign on here after his loan spell last season, must’ve scored most of his goals inside the 6 yard box for us, has the knack to just toe in or head from close range.

 

[Gassy]

to be fair the last time we played you was at your place in the FA Cup when you were L1 are we were National League and we beat you then.....

Will this be our first league meeting? I assume it is?

I remember playing you back in the FA Cup 10+ years ago and your defender punched Sean Rigg in the jaw randomly during the game and he actually served time for it, if I remember correctly?

One of those rare cases where a football match actually took into account the actual law of assault? Since then i've always thought Barrow were thugs tbh... And then we hired Joey Barton

 

[BarraMatt]

Cooper massively pissed off in the post match. Said there's only one positive to come out of tonight and that's the financial aspect which needs to be invested in the training facilities straight away. To summarise he's described them as inadequate and is preventing the squad from being fit enough to compete. Supposedly the issues are to be resolved at the start of September and I hope they are as I can't see him sticking around if they aren't improved. I'd be very annoyed if that occurs, pissing away the opportunity for a decent manager to navigate us in the first couple of seasons which were always going to be difficult. While our board are brilliant at the community/business side of things, we desperately lack someone with experience of running a football club at this level.

 

[chipmunx]

Will this be our first league meeting? I assume it is?

I remember playing you back in the FA Cup 10+ years ago and your defender punched Sean Rigg in the jaw randomly during the game and he actually served time for it, if I remember correctly?

One of those rare cases where a football match actually took into account the actual law of assault? Since then i've always thought Barrow were thugs tbh... And then we hired Joey Barton

No - we played 6 times in seasons 67/68, 68/69 and 69/70 - all in the old Division 3.
you won all 3 at your ground but lost 2 and drew 1 at Barrow.

https://www.11v11.com/teams/bristol-rovers/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Barrow/

 

[hellogregory]

Cooper massively pissed off in the post match. Said there's only one positive to come out of tonight and that's the financial aspect which needs to be invested in the training facilities straight away. To summarise he's described them as inadequate and is preventing the squad from being fit enough to compete. Supposedly the issues are to be resolved at the start of September and I hope they are as I can't see him sticking around if they aren't improved. I'd be very annoyed if that occurs, pissing away the opportunity for a decent manager to navigate us in the first couple of seasons which were always going to be difficult. While our board are brilliant at the community/business side of things, we desperately lack someone with experience of running a football club at this level.

Just listened to his BBC interview. Says you have a really nice gym but no grass pitch to train on which surprised me. Was this the case last season? I’d have thought all last seasons managers would have flagged this up as well.

 

[BarraMatt]

No one has a clue, at least I don't. Not sure if it means where we are now doesn't have a grass pitch or the new facilities we've sorted from September. Whatever we were using last season we certainly aren't there now.

 

[saddler78]

wouldn't be surprised if we have a chat with Villa and try and get the guy who got the hat-trick on loan - he was on loan to Solihull in the National League last season - so they will probably look to send him to an EFL 2 team this time out.
As for the game - that was a very good young Villa side, but once the 3rd went in it was a case of don't get injured and get minutes in the legs. Big Bonus that Zanzala got through 90 mins for the 1st time this season (he missed pre-season with injury).
Taylor played because Mike Jones and Tom Beadling are still out injured as are Devitt, Matty Platt and Dmitri Sea.
We had 2 keepers on the bench and no Luke James - not sure if that's him picking up a knock in training or him heading to Hartlepool??

He was offered to us last season and we signed Scrimshaw instead Cameron Archer born and grew up in Walsall.